Atomic-scale processing method by combining extreme ultraviolet light and plasma

Abstract

Disclosed is an atomic-scale processing method by combining extreme ultraviolet light and plasma. The method includes synergistically applying extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light and plasma to treat a surface of a material, enabling atomic-scale processing of the surface of the material.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An atomic-scale processing method by combining extreme ultraviolet light and plasma composite, comprising:
 synergistically applying extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light and plasma to treat a surface of a material, enabling atomic-scale processing of the surface of the material; wherein 
 the surface of the material is first irradiated with the EUV light so that a bonding energy between excited surface atoms is less than a bulk bonding energy inside the material, and the excited surface atoms are removed by bombardment with plasma particles; an incident ion energy is controlled so that an energy delivered to target atoms is between the bulk bonding energy and the bonding energy of the surface in an excited state; the EUV light is configured to reduce an atomic bonding energy of the surface, the bombardment with plasma particles is configured for selective removal of atomic layer, and the atomic removal occurs only in a region where the EUV light and the plasma co-operate; the removal process slows down significantly or even disappears under only one external field condition; or 
 highly chemically active plasma particles are first adsorbed on the surface of the material to reduce the atomic bonding energy of the surface, and an irradiation with the EUV light and a low-energy plasma bombardment are performed simultaneously; power and time of irradiation with the EUV light as well as an ion incident energy are controlled, so that an energy is less than the atomic bonding energy of the adsorbed-modified surface when each of the EUV light and the plasma acts alone, and a total energy is between the atomic bonding energy of the adsorbed-modified surface and the bulk bonding energy when the EUV light and the plasma act together; the atomic removal occurs only in the region where the EUV light and the plasma co-operate; the removal process slows down significantly or even disappears under only one external field condition. 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the surface of the material is treated to a sub-nanometer flat surface prior to processing.